Union officials continued to receive a barrage of threats on Friday evening and into Saturday punctuated by warnings that if organizers were sent to counter-demonstrate at health care town halls they would be met with violence.

An official with the AFL-CIO, a federation of labor organizations, passed on what he described as a "pretty direct threat" to those union hands who were showing up to balance out anti-Obama demonstrations being waged at local Democratic forums.

"I will be going to a local town hall this weekend, all you union members BEWARE!" an emailer wrote at 9:40 Saturday morning. "We will be waiting for you. better make sure you have arrangements with your local ER. today is the day when the goon meets the gun. see you there."

The email was first sent to the media-watching organization Newshounds before being passed to Eddie Vale, a spokesman for the AFL-CIO. The IP address used to post the email was traced back to Georgia.

The AFL-CIO isn't the only labor organization to be on the receiving end of threats of violence. During a day in which a woman called up its national office threatening to use her Second Amendment rights should her First Amendment rights be repressed, officials at the Service Employees International Union continued to be deluged with emails and phone calls with ominous undertones.

The seem to think that they are the only ones who have guns and ammo and know how to use them, they may be in for a surprise real quick... I personally most likely will not go to any town hall type meetings if I did I would go armed... that one that says they are going to exercise their second amendment rights if someone tries to stop their first amendment rights doesn't seem to get the fact that they are attempting to stop others from exercising their first amendment rights also... they named two streets after these guys, one way and dead end... not to many branches on their family trees for sure.

Has this been sent to the FBI(Dems are in power now you know).If the message was sent from another state, it's a federal crime.People have been threatened, government officials have been threatened.Enough of the crap with the TV opinion heads trying to tell what's going on, this has to be investigated and someone or some group needs to be prosecuted and jailed.And that includes the shitheads like limbo and bekk.(misspellings intentional).

23. Unions have historically gone to polling places to maintain the peace

back in the day, voter oppression efforts by the late Chief Justice Rhenquist were dismanteled by union members defending everyone's right to vote. Funny that current opposition to EFCA is that unions are against letting folks vote in private.

28. This is typical rhetoric seen on Topix and the Honolulu Star Bulletin threads.

Especiallt vocal are these Anti Union agitators in regards to defending Lindle Lingle and her massive layoff threats, unitary executive, Queen Lingle approach to gutting the Hawaii Government Employee's Union, which has been held in high regard until the recent economic collapse. It seems that all the good they've done to keep at least a moderate comparison of wages in one of the more expensive places to live in the United States, they are being thrown to the Wolves with despicable attacks, comparing them to criminals, nazis, and all sorts of vile shit.

It is clear that it is the Republican party behind all of it, because they all use the same talking points, and it has been going on for months now.

The loss of the election Broke their Brains, and now they are looking for anything that will make them feel part of some effective group.

I just hope that the AFL-CIO has enough clout to get authorities to send a few detectives to knock on the doors of these out of work, lots of free time on their hands, haters and do a nice crisp perp walk in manacles to the local jail.

I want to see these idiots defend their threats with the First Amendment and see how far that takes them. I hope it takes them as far as the Fifth Amedment..

30. Counter-disruption is not the best way to handle disruption of a public meeting

The best way to do it is to enforce the rules of order. One person is in charge of the meeting and has absolute power to eject anyone who does not cooperate. People who defy orders to vacate become trespassers and are subject to arrest.

37. Having been in charge of a parliamentary meeting that got rowdy...

Edited on Sat Aug-08-09 11:51 PM by Chan790

you've pretty much got to have a riot break out or have someone idiotically take a swing at a peace officer to actually get the police to make an arrest in these situations.

Can't blame them sadly, you just know that Limpdick and Hannity will each be on the radio the next day talking about the cop by name (probably along with his/her home address) who oppressed the free speech of the offensive twit who got arrested.

Things were a lot calmer back when there was an expectation that sergeants-at-arms and baseball umpires would be armed in the course of their duties.

but I am proud of our brothers and sisters for standing up. What kind of person threatens a working person for using their free speech rights? I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but this needs to be covered in the corporate media. However, the media will cover for these thugs, as we all know. If unions were threatening violence, it would be "breaking news" on all channels.

That's pretty much the reaction I got from my local all the time...what is the union doing, how can we members help, can you help me get a job since I was unfairly laid off?

But of course, a really national union guy would provide the (? nt) to really important questions: why are our industries shutting down? Why were our jobs outsourced to India? Why can't we get jobs here? Why aren't we accusing CEO's and guys with MBA's of being traitors to our country and our families? What the hell good is being a Union member when the union won't stand against abuses?

So I guess your reply indicates that you're a shop steward hoping to work in the union's national office.

ON EDIT: Well, there was one benefit to union membership. I could get membership to Sam's Club...which puts more money into the anti-union activities of Wal-Mart. Thanks, Union!

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